Soccer notebook: Staples again the team to beat

By Mike Cardillo, Staff writer

Published
12:14 am EDT, Friday, October 23, 2009

The names, faces and years may change, but as the sand falls through the hourglass, the fact remains that the Staples boys soccer team is continually one of the teams, if not the team, to beat in the FCIAC.

After wining their 25th league crown last fall, the Wreckers are again on pace to add to their championship history when the league playoffs kick off next weekend. In its last two games Staples (13-1-0, 13-0-0 FCIAC) defeated previously unbeaten Ridgefield and then Greenwich, putting the Wreckers on track for the league's No. 1 playoff seed barring a collapse in the final week of the season.

"We like our chances," coach Dan Woog said this week. "I've been around long enough to know that anything can happen in the FCIAC."

One of the biggest reasons for the Wreckers' success is an airtight defense, which has only allowed three goals in league play and just six overall.

"We work from day one not only on defensive skills but on positioning," Woog said. "In our program, defenders realize to be back there you have to be someone special."

The Staples defense is led by senior sweeper Jack Hennessey, who isn't a year-round soccer player, but brings some toughness from the baseball field as he was MVP of the FCIAC title game during the spring. He's paired with 6-foot-3 Mikey Fitzgerald, who is a threat on set pieces due to his height.

The quartet protects the goal of Michael McCarthy, who only decided to play keeper after his freshman season.

"The knock for years has been that anyone can play goalie for Staples," Woog said. "But that's not true."

Staples was knocked off its unbeaten perch on Oct. 10 by the SWC's Brookfield by a 3-1 margin.

Woog noted, that like most opponents this season, the Bobcats were primed to take on the Wreckers.

"We're everyone's big game and it felt like it was Brookfield's Super Bowl," Woog said.

What makes Staples a dangerous team is its balanced scoring, which is spread out across the field. Strikers Greg Gudis (10 goals) and Mike White (nine) lead the way, but midfielders Alan Reiter (seven) and Brendan Lesch (seven) also contribute on the scoresheet along with the aforementioned Fitzgerald (five).

Staples also has played the season with a heavy heart, due to the sudden death of former player Preston Hirten over the summer while training at University of Mary Washington in Virginia.

"We don't talk about it, but every time they put on the uniform with his initials on it they're reminded of it," Woog said.

REGROUPING COUGARS -- There was a thought, after coming out of relatively nowhere to win the 2007 Class S title, that it would be the first of many championships for Kolbe Cathedral boys soccer team.

That wasn't exactly the case, as the Cougars failed to qualify for the state tournament last year amidst a mid-year coaching change.

This year Kolbe (6-6-1) has already qualified for the state tournament and could squeeze into the SWC tournament under coach Dejan Cokic, who was an assistant in 2007 and took over midway through 2008.

"It's been a lot of learning," he said. "The players had to adapt to a more disciplined style of play. They're starting to understand how it's played and appreciate it more."

Kolbe still has a core of players -- David Vega, Mario Lacone, Hector Pommills Jose Lara and Sehrandi Burns -- who were part of the 2007 championship team, but Cokic is trying to make sure the team isn't content to rest on its laurels.

"Winning a state title a couple years ago, maybe they thought it would be easy," Cokic said. "But it's harder because everyone is after you."

Cokic also said the team had to resolve some off-the-field issues, including some apprehensions about playing games at either Seaside Park or the University of Bridgeport.

"It's been a lot of growing pains, but we're starting to come together," Cokic said. "Even at the time we won states, it wasn't smooth sailing and we were only 7-6-1."

SET PIECES -- After a somewhat slow start, the Barlow boys have gone nine games unbeaten, including 1-0 wins over Newtown and Bunnell thanks to the scoring touch of Dan Goldman and Will Kiriazidis. " Barring a loss in its final three games, the Platt Tech boys (13-0-0) should finish as the top seed in the Class L playoffs, ahead of such perennial powers as Hand and Brookfield. " The Fairfield Ludlowe girls took a big step toward making the FCIAC playoffs with a 1-0 win over Ridgefield Wednesday, the Tigers' first loss of the season. " With a week to go, it looks as if Fairfield Ludlowe, Bassick, McMahon, Fairfield Warde, Darien, St. Joseph and Wilton are locked up in a fight for the final two FCIAC boys playoff spots.